Nota breve Galemys, 25: 59-61, 2013 ISSN 1137-8700 e-ISSN 2254-8408 DOI: 10.7325/Galemys.2013.N01
Occasional bat predation by the horseshoe whip snake (Reptilia, Colubridae)
José A. Garrido-García1, Godfried Schreur2 & Juan Manuel Pleguezuelos3 1. Doñana Biological Station (CSIC), Avda. Americo Vespuccio s/n. Isla de la Cartuja, E-41092 Sevilla (Spain). 2. Ecoturex. E-06518 La Codosera, Badajóz (Spain). 3. Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada (Spain).
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Predators include Chiroptera in their diet only observed and photographed feeding on a Plecotus marginally, though some individuals specialize on austriacus (Fischer, 1829) (G. de Hoog pers. comm.). bat hunting if large bat populations inhabit their In Granadilla (6º6’ W 40º16’ N / UTM square home range (Kowalski 1995). Among snakes, 10x10 km 29SQE46, 386 masl, Cáceres, Spain; chiropterophagy is rare, and most of the records 2009/05/17), one of the authors (JAG-G) observed on this feeding habit come from tropical areas how one H. hippocrepis fell from the roof of a (Gillette & Krimbourg 1970, Foster & Price 1997, building grasping in its jaws an Eptesicus serotinus Digana et al. 2005, Esbérard & Vrcibradic 2007). (Schreber, 1774) / Eptesicus isabellinus (Temminck, In the Nearctic, this behaviour has been observed 1839) (Fig. 1); on the ground, the snake coiled particularly in rat snakes (genus Elaphe), colubrids around the bat, whilst the mammal tried to get free that specialize on small mammals (Davis 1951, by biting and with spasms. Spasms have been also Wiseman 1963, Cary et al. 1981, Ridlehuber observed in this bat when handled by researchers & Silvy 1981). In the Western Palaearctic, only (pers. obs. of the authors), presumably as a defensive scattered cases have been recorded for another rat tactic of the species. In the two cases, we can observe snake (Zamenis longissimus Schätti, 1984). The completely the process of ingestion. predation by the horseshoe whip snake, Hemorrhois All snakes observed were adults, and the weight hippocrepis (Linnaeus, 1758), on Myotis punicus for captured bats (6-10 g for P. austriacus, 17-28 Fellten, Spitzenberger & Storch, 1977, in a cave g for E. serotinus/E. isabellinus, and 19-25 g for of north-eastern Morocco, was also recorded, M. oxygnathus and M. punicus; Dietz et al. 2009), although it was considered accidental because the was within the range for the weight of most H. grate protecting the entrance of the cave facilitated hippocrepis prey, and both bats were ingested head the capture (Hammer & Arlettaz 1998). Moreover, first, as usual in this snake (Pleguezuelos & Moreno in southern Spain, for the same snake species, a case 1990, Pleguezuelos & Fahd 2004). of predation on Myotis oxygnathus Monticelli,1885 Until now, we have recorded four chiropteropha- was recorded and some individuals were found gous events and three occurrences of foraging among colonies of Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Schreber, behaviour among bat colonies by H. hippocrepis, 1774) and Eptesicus isabellinus Temminck, 1840 throughout most of the range of the species in displaying hunting behaviour, at least in three the Western Mediterranean. Except for the case in localities (Migens et al. 2002). However, neither Morocco, these records are not related to obstacles publication describes the capture and handling hindering the flight of bats leaving from their process by the snake. Here, we contribute new data refuges. Records on feeding events coming from on chiropterophagy by H. hippocrepis and discuss direct observation must be considered cautiously, the role of bats in its diet. and not be taken as the sole source of information In Torrejón el Rubio (6º03’ W 39º45’ N, / to describe the feeding habits of predators; rather, UTM square 10x10 km 29SQE51, 461 masl, these observations should be accompanied by Cáceres, Spain; 2009/02/20) an individual was analyses of gut contents to provide a more complete
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Figure 1. A horseshoe whip snake coiled around a serotine bat (Granadilla, Cáceres, Spain, 17-5-2009; Author: JAGG).
picture of their trophic ecology (Rodríguez-Robles the observations on this group of bats; however, 1998). The literature offers descriptions of the only two of the records presented here refer to feeding habits of six H. hippocrepis populations cavernicolous species, whilst five records refer to throughout the range of the species (Vericad & crevice-dwelling ones. We suggest that the capture Escarré 1976, Meijide & Salas 1987, Pleguezuelos of crevice-dwelling bats would be more common & Moreno 1990, Capula et al., 1997, Corti et al. than recorded in the literature concerning the 2000, Pleguezuelos & Fahd 2004), and none of the feeding habits of this snake. 247 prey identified from 439 snake specimens was a bat. This suggests that a) bats are quite local prey, or b) studies on diet tend to show only the general References pattern on the feeding habits of the species, but fail Capula M., Luiselli L., Rugiero F., Evangelista F., Anibaldi to detect occasional prey (Rodríguez-Robles 1998). C. & Jesús V. T. 1997. Notes on the food habits of This snake is an active forager and an expert Coluber hippocrepis nigrescens from Pantellaria Island: climber, proficient at moving along vertical a snake that feeds on both carrion and living prey. or overhanging substrates of natural surfaces Herpetological Journal, 7: 67-70. or constructions, and adept at capturing prey Cary D.L., Clawson R. . & Grimes D. 1981. An inaccessible to other Mediterranean colubrids, observation on snake predation on a bat. Transactions including nestlings or adults of Hirundinidae and of the Kansas Academy of Science, 84: 223-224 Passeridae surprised within their nests (Feriche Corti C., Luiselli L., Filippi E. & Capula M. 2000. Distribution, natural history and morphometrics 2004). Its slender-bodied morphology also allows of the critically endangered Coluber hippocrepis it to forage on crevice-dwelling saurians, such as populations of Sardinia: a review, with additional data Tarentola mauritanica (Linnaeus 1758) or Podarcis and conservation implications. Amphibia-Reptilia, hispanica (Steindachner 1870) (Pleguezuelos & 21: 279-288. Moreno 1990). These foraging habits may also Davis, W.B. 1951. Bat, Molossus nigricans, eaten by the lead the snake to forage on bats resting in fissures Rat Snake, Elaphe laeta. Journal of Mammalogy, 32: and lofts. We presume that it is easier for this snake 219. to capture crevice-dwelling (genus Pipistrellus, Dietz C., Von Helversen O. & Hill D. 2009. Bats Hypsugo, Eptesicus, Plecotus) than cavernicolous of Britain, Europe & Northwest Africa. AC Black, bats (Rhinolophus, Myotis, Miniopterus), the latter London, 400 pp. Digana P.M. C., Yapa W.B. & Ratnasooriya W.D. being less affordable because they rest hanging 2005. Pup predation of Schreibers’ long-fingered from roofs, and are more difficult to find during bat, Miniopterus schreibersii (Microchiroptera) by random foraging because they normally collect in two species of reptiles in the Wavulpena Cave in Sri large but dense colonies (Dietz et al. 2009). All Lanka. Lyriocephalus, 6: 307-310. of the data here presented came from researchers Esbérard C.E.L. & Vrcibradic D. 2007. Snakes preying focusing on carvernicolous bats, which could bias on bats: new records from Brazil and a review of
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recorded cases in the Neotropical Region. Revista Pleguezuelos J.M. & Fahd S. 2004. Body size, diet and Brasileira de Zoología, 24: 848 - 853. reproductive ecology of Coluber hippocrepis in the Feriche M. 2004. Culebra de herradura – Hemorrhois Rif (Northern Morocco). Amphibia-Reptilia, 25: hippocrepis.
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